CLEVELAND — This is a story Pittsburgh and Cleveland fans will tell for years to come; the tale of that time the Browns and Steelers played to a tie to open the 2018 NFL season at First Energy Stadium.

Remember that time Pittsburgh blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter in Cleveland? Remember how the Browns broke their 17-game losing streak with a 21-21 tie against the Steelers? It will be trivia night material in Ohio and Pennsylvania forever.

They might forget the numbers, of course. The Steelers had six turnovers. The Browns surrendered seven sacks. But they will remember how both teams missed field goals in overtime and had to settle for the same story, which could be sensed in the locker rooms after Sunday's game.

Nobody celebrated. Players shuffled in and out. Answers to questions were short. How does one describe what happened in the second half and the corresponding overtime that led to the first tie in 132 meetings between these teams? Wet? Wacky? WTF?

"It's a weird feeling after a game like that," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "You don't what to feel or say or think."

Awkward. Weird. Sour. Those are the immediate responses. Now the AFC North rivals will have to let the future dictate which team — and what star players — will come out the winner this season after the most bizarre Week 1 finish possible.

For the coaches, there will be questions. The Steelers should have won the game even without star running back Le'Veon Bell. Pittsburgh had a 21-7 lead with 7:44 remaining before two fourth-quarter turnovers set up Cleveland's comeback.

Ben Roethlisberger, however, will take the brunt of the criticism after his five-turnover performance. The Steelers quarterback is now 21-2-1 against the Browns, and his frustration showed in a curt interview in the locker room afterward. Roethlisberger, who turned 36 over the offseason, has been around this rivalry for a while. He simply said, "If you don't win, it feels like a loss."

"Give them credit, they made plays, especially with the turnovers," Roethlisberger continued. "You can't win the game when you turn the ball over that many times."

The questions about Bell's holdout will continue despite the emergence of backup RB James Conner, who produced 135 rushing yards, 57 receiving yards and two TDs. That went well with receiver Antonio Brown, who had nine catches for 93 yards and a score. Linebacker T.J. Watt had four sacks and blocked Cleveland's last-second field goal in overtime.

Pittsburgh still has the most star power in the division. Had Chris Boswell's 42-yard field goal not sailed wide left in overtime, this would be business as usual.

Only, it didn't. And that 14-point cushion still sticks out.

"I don't get into all that," Tomlin said when asked about the Steelers blowing the lead. "We play to win, and we didn't win today."

The loudest noise in either locker room echoed from the speaker behind Browns defensive end's Myles Garrett's locker. Journey's "Anytime" riffed while Garrett talked about the future of Cleveland's defense.

"If we can play like that every game and have that stadium like that, you better watch out," Garrett said with a smile. "That's all I can say."

Garrett, who had two sacks Sunday, is a full-fledged stud in his second season with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. First-round pick Denzel Ward recorded two interceptions in his first NFL start. Second-year safety Jabrill Peppers scooped up a fumble and ignited the fourth-quarter rally. Linebacker Joe Schobert almost scored on a fumble recovery in the final minute of overtime.

Had Zane Gonzalez's kick not been blocked, all the "Hard Knocks" hype around a team that finished 0-16 last year would have morphed into a conversation about a changing of the guard.

Only, it didn't. The Browns are now 1-18-1 in season-openers since 1999.

Cincinnati and Baltimore won, too, which further clouds the early AFC North race. The X-factor, Cleveland quarterback and 2018 No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield, walked through the locker room after the game without a word. His teammate, starting QB Tyrod Taylor, had to answer the most questions.

Taylor finished 15-of-40 passing for 197 yards. He took those seven sacks and threw an interception, but he also led a quick-fire drive that tied the game with a 17-yard TD pass to WR Josh Gordon. Taylor is working with Jarvis Landry and Gordon, but the Browns went conservative and at one point had three consecutive three-and-outs. Cleveland finished plus-five in the turnover ratio in bad weather, but Taylor wouldn't use the elements as an excuse for those missed opportunities. This is the AFC North, after all.

"The ultimate statement would have been to come out of this game with a win," Taylor said. "I think guys played hard, we definitely fought hard through four quarters and even overtime. But, a tie, it's just a sour taste."

A few minutes earlier, Steelers linebacker Vince Williams delivered a more pointed message.

"We're not here to have ties," Williams said. "We're winners. That's what we're here to do."

For both teams, the search for the first win of the season moves to Week 2. Tomlin and Roethlisberger will field another round of questions about Bell, and the Steelers' hold on the AFC North will be questioned along with their discipline. Pittsburgh had 12 penalties for 116 yards in Cleveland.

The Browns, meanwhile, still haven't won a regular-season game since Week 16 in 2017. That evoked mixed reactions from fans; a few stuck around until Taylor walked out from his press conference. One screamed, "Thank you!" Another yelled, "QB1." The Browns might be a team poised for a better future under new general manager John Dorsey, but the missed opportunity fell on the wet turf in the end zone after Watt blocked Gonzalez's kick. A few Cleveland fans in the upper bowl hugged. Others shook hands.

It wasn't a win. It wasn't a loss. It will age better with time. But in the short-term, Jackson's reaction remains the best description of what unfolded.

Awkard. Weird. Sour. Wet. Wacky. All of those apply, and we still don't know WTF will happen next for either team. The answer might hinge on Jackson, who still faces the task of getting the Browns to the Steelers' level in the long term.

"The guys fought," Jackson said. "Disappointed for our fans. Did not want them going home without a victory. I did not want our players to go home without a victory. We were not able to get it done. Did not finish it, but obviously a tie."

Jackson then shook his head, like everybody else, and repeated himself one more time.